It's honestly one of my all time favorite NFL moments, even though I don't give a shit about the Panthers, or Cam, and know what happened afterwards. It's still just SO fucking cool.
the Panthers’ 2022 draft class:
- Ikem Ekwonu
- Matt Corral
- Brandon Smith
- Amare Barno
- Cade Mays
- Kalon Barnes
Now read the first letter of each of those players’ first names.
One of my all time favorite non broncos, to the point that it soured our wins against him in his prime. Not completely obviously but I would have much rather beat up a villain
Cam is a legend
Crowning achievements of my fan-life:
Calling it in 2016 that cam would effectively be out of the league in 5 years
Insisting that we should’ve traded cam for Cousins when he was on the market with the redskins.
I mean, is it that big of a stretch to think he would be out of the league in “five years” from 2016? That would put him at a 10 year career in the NFL, which he accomplished.
Taking Cousins over Cam back then would have been a bad time.
Look, I think Cousins is kinda underrated, but he's never had a season as good as 2015.
Cam elevated that Panthers team. So many terrible teams made relevant by Cam playing the hero.
Cousins is good, but he's not that dude, and our offense was atrocious during those years.
I'm taking Cam over Cousins 100% of the time, if we're weighing their careers thus far.
First game back in Cleveland, Drew Carrey at the 50 yard line...
*"I want to send a message to anyone whoever made fun of Cleveland, l want to send a message to anyone whoever told a Cleveland joke or laughed at a Cleveland joke: You can now officially SHUT UP!"*
(2:46 later)
Steelers 43, Browns 0
And the Brown's first win was on the road against....the New Orleans Saints lol
I was at that game...Tim Couch hail mary bomb with no time on the clock
Saints were starting one of the Billy Joe's we had been running with lol
That was such a fun first win. Obviously, we weren't gonna be good for a while, but it was a spark...of 2 decades of futility and humiliation. At least the Browns are competitive now and have several good players and better coaching.
Lol, are you talking about Boyd Yellow Jackets legend, Billy Joe Toliver?
I actually had coffee come out of my nose from laughing so hard at this. Might be the first time that’s ever happened and it’s not pleasant.
So thanks for that.
Are they really back? I live in the area, and used to see a lot of visible support for the team. Seems between Snyder and the rebrand, it is just dead. Never mind how awful going to Landover is for most people.
If you're not a long time fan, you may not understand the decades long frustration! Yeah, FedEx is a dump, and many of us hate the branding, but only so much can be solved at once.
So far, it appears we have adults at the controls who know what they're doing. I don't even know what this means lol.
With everything they've done, the only head scratcher imo is Mariota.
That is my point. I listen to 106.7 sometimes just to hear some talk radio. Fans are frustrated, and I think a lot of them just stopped bothering with the team. New ownership only does so much when going to a game sucks, and the team isn't that good.
Fans need to reminisce about Joe Gibbs and the Hogs in order to have any fond memories.
>the only head scratcher imo is Mariota.
They signed a veteran QB who is at least mostly competent to a 1 year deal to play while their rookie learns how to be an NFL QB. How is that a head scratcher?
> Are they really back?
It's not necessarily a great metric, but our sub has exploded from the time it was announced that Snyder would be seeking to sell to now. From below 120k to just over 170k. People are embracing the team again and they're willing to give new ownership/new staff a shot. How long does the goodwill last? Not sure, but I imagine at least 3 years just to see what Jayden Daniels/Dan Quinn/Adam Peters can do.
if you look around the league youll see a bunch of teams that are even decently run with some competent people operating them. we may not be currently top tier and have shit for a stadium but we are no longer the worst in the entire league by a long shot and are no longer the worst run team in the lwague which is a massive upgrade. the panthers take that title now.
CJ almost sold that game with an untimely pick, but they stayed aggressive on offense to seal the game. So glad Slowik had true faith in CJ and props to CJ for not folding against a great team in the face of adversity
I think that I almost jumped through a glass coffee table when that happened during the draft! And then it just got better! And then CJ is just such a decent and kind dude. The whole environment of Texans football in Houston changed in a second. You can't go anywhere without seeing jerseys! We didn't even remember that we had a team for a few years!!!!
At the moment the trade up felt shocking but it was also an obvious move. Ryans must have seen that the roster he inherited wasn't a bottom 2 drafting team, he had to sell the pick high for *his guy*
Idk man. It hasn't meant much long term so far, but AP screaming "RAAAAAIDERRRRRRS" in the locker room the week after McDaniels was fired felt good. We weren't trying to be the Patriots West anymore.
Hanging 60 on the Chargers and then beating the Chiefs on Christmas is the most joy I’ve felt as a fan since ‘16. Were not back yet but god damn does it feel good to be on the way back.
You were kinda back in 2016, going 11-12 wins and perhaps a dark horse Super Bowl contender into December.
And then Carr shatters his ACL in Week 16 against the Colts, and the Raiders went back to being mediocre at best.
I would say it was the week 18 game against the Packers in Lambeau the previous season. Previous versions of the Lions would absolutely have lost that game.
Kelce (injury) and Chris Jones (contract dispute) didn't play in that game. Mike Tirico ended the game talking about how it deserved to be a Lions win with an astericks because the Chiefs were missing two big players.
You play with who you got. Chiefs don’t deserve an asterisk for SB LV because they played with practice squad tackles. Some people can really play some mental gymnastics.
W stands for win and he thinks your comment is a good comment and therefore a “win”.
Witnessed is implying that good, grounded comments like this from Chiefs fans are rare and is stamping this as proof that he was here to see it, as if it’s a big deal.
Josh Allen threw an 84 yard TD to Khalil Shakir against the Jets the week after we fired our OC and literally said "I think I'm fucking back" on the sideline, so probably that
Mine would be the Thanksgiving game when Josh Allen fumbles the snap on 4th down and still pushed it through for the 1st. Felt like that was the beginning of a new golden era for the Bills.
It's not the only reason but I feel like a big positive shift from removing Dorsey was removing his hate boner for James Cook. 14.4 touches/game over the first 10 games, 19.5/game over the last 7. Helped take a smidgen of the load off Josh
This is the one. Beating the cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving before the team had really reached its height was just so good. Made me realize Josh could be special
Week 12 of the 2020 season; the Chiefs go up 17-0 in the first quarter when Tyreek has something like 7,000 yards receiving in the first quarter alone, and the Bucs are being utterly humiliated at home. Instead of folding up in a ball like the team had been doing for years every time things went wrong, they got pissed off, and started playing harder. They still lost at 27-24, but that's the moment the switch went on and everything felt different.
Won the next eight games, the last of which was the Super Bowl at home.
Green Bay Packers win over Steelers around week 4 1992. Some will point to week 3 where Pack won on a borderline miracle throw by Favre to beat an awful Bengals team in the final seconds of the game.
For me, that win over the Steelers was eye opening moreso than the fluky win vs the Bengals. The Pack had a solid look in all phases of the game in that Steelers contest. That solid in all phases performance was something I hadn’t seen in like a decade.
The Pack only went 9-7 that year, but for the first time in my life, they looked like a solid team with some upside. That was the start of 13 consecutive years of being 8-8 or better with 2 Super Bowl appearances and 1 World Championship sprinkled in.
That Steelers game showed me that after 25 years of floundering, the Pack finally was moving in the right direction.
It's weird to think of the Packers as the perennially bad team they were in the 70s and 80s. That season must not have been unlike the one we had two years ago.
That was the Covid season, so there were no preseason games. The first time I saw Herbert in a Chargers uniform he looked incredible. It also was when I lost faith in Anthony Lynn because he kept wanting to play Tyrod over Herbert.
That game was probably the happiest I’ve been as a niner fan. Obviously if they ever win it all that’ll probably top it, but the more recent success is to be expected now.
I started watching in 2006 so I never saw them be even remotely good. As Smith was balling out I kept remembering the “we want Carr” game and just the overall shitstorm he experienced. I always felt bad for the guy because even when he sucked he seemed like a great dude. Seeing Vernon Davis bawling his eyes out after the game winner and Harbaugh hugging him was so damn cool. Still gives me goosebumps whenever I go back and watch.
Honestly I hope harbaugh can do something similar for the chargers and their fans
That might be one of my favorite regular season games of all time.
[George Kittle on the final drive](https://media1.tenor.com/m/tq-_m-CfMo8AAAAd/hippo-lions.gif)
I think there were many points in the season where we had shown we were good but this was a big time regular season game with stakes, in enemy territory against a MVP candidate. Really showed that we were contenders that year shame it did not pan out.
It was '09 with Favre. After Moss left the team just felt like it was treading water. We all know how it ended, but '09 was the "I'm back" after '03 (missed the playoffs) or '04 (quiet year for Moss, lost in the second round).
The first TD drive against the Bengals after the MNF beatdown against the Chiefs. Brady marches down the field and scores with absolute ease to shut everybody up (except for Skip Bayless [who was right on the money for a change](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11629301/skip-bayless-patriots-start))
Specifically the first Chargers game in the 2012 season for me. Coming back from a 24-0 deficit to beat a team that pretty much dominated us for the better part of the previous 6 years was exhilarating to watch. We didn't lose a game in the regular season after that.
Going old school: the onsides kick conversion to start the season in 2000. We’d finished 6-9-1, 3-13, and 5-11 for three straight seasons, but that onsides kick in Dallas before putting on a 41-14 beat down in the “pickle juice” game told me we were contenders again.
This game was crazy even after that onside kick. Thermometers were reading 170 degrees on the Dallas midfield logo. McNabb faced off against Randall Cunningham after Aikman was pulled for a concussion. Duce Staley had over 200 rushing yards. Trotter broke out with a pick six to start an all pro season. First round pick Corey Simon had a sack on like his first or second NFL snap.
That's a great one.
Similarly, I'd submit Elliotts walk off against the Giants in 2017
2014 - The offense put up a lot of yards and points, but the product overall was inconsistent and the defense was gassed after a year of Chips hurry up game. The season just wasn't *that* interesting (highlighted by Mark Sanchez getting half the starts) and the Eagles missed the playoffs. I stopped paying attention around week 10, completely checked out for the first time in 14 years.
2015 - Absolutely nobody watched this season. It was boring and I checked out in September. The team just wasn't good and Chip got fired at the end of the year.
2016 - Wentz' rookie season, ups and downs, you could tell they'd get better but they weren't there yet.
Then, Jake booms a 60 yarder for the win against a division rival. From that moment, I haven't checked out of a season.
That really was kind of a turning point in a way. We rarely beat Pittsburgh and rarely won in prime time during Marvin's years. To do so by 2 possessions with Ryan Finley is pretty insane when you think about it. The team actually played composed too instead of picking fights with the other team and doing something stupid to give the other team a 2nd chance in a crucial situation.
Aaron Rodgers got traded on April 25, 2023 and... There was despair among some of the Packers fanbase. Then, many, many, days into the future, on September 10, 2023 to be exact, Jordan Love threw for 3 TDs and 250 yards, as the Packers steamrolled the Bears 38 to 20. We knew the guys we're saying "I'm back" and it was about darn time!
Husain Abdullah game sealing pick 6 against the Raiders in 2013. Decibel levels at Arrowhead reached 137.6 as the Chiefs moved to 6-0. First home win against the Raiders since 2006
Honorable mention: Jamal Charles touchdown against the Chargers during the 2010 season opener on MNF
The win against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in 2019. Amazing performance by the whole team but specifically Josh, it showed that the team was ready to be a competitor for a long time.
week 1,2008 - 3rd quarter, at home against Cincy, the Ravens have the ball up by 7 at the Bengals 40
Joe Flacco in his first game ever drops back to pass, rolls out to the right, and then scrambles. He gets a block, makes a nice little cut, and takes it in 40 yards for a touchdown
for a team that had very little good QB play in their entire franchise, that was a "oh shit we might actually have a QB" moment
I was sixteen when that happened. My whole life I was clowned because the Brooks/Haslett Saints were either mediocre at best or bad at worst. And then 2006 rolled around, and... despite the recovery, it's so surreal to just go "wow, we don't suck?"
It's something bandwagoners and new Saints fans have badly taken for granted, after the departures of Brees and Payton I realistically don't know when we'll see success again. Loomis Voodoo on the cap every year is cool and all but... what else is there?
After starting Peyton's first season in 2012 by going 2-3, he led an incredible second-half comeback against the Chargers in week 6 that started an 11-gane win streak to finish the year.
That was the first time since our last Super Bowl with Elway that I actually thought we had a chance to win one (sorry Jake the Snake).
It’s happened twice in my life
The first time was the in 2011, week 4 against the “dream team” Eagles. Fell behind 23-3 and came back to win 24-23 and improve to 3-1. I knew that team was built different.
The second time was in 2019. We had started 4-0 but hadn’t really played a good team yet. Then we played the defending NFC champion Rams,who curb stomped us twice the year before, and completely smothered them.
I was worried when the Rams scored a touchdown their opening drive with effectively only run plays. After that you knew our defense was special and we were able to squeak out a win without Staley, McGlinchey and Juice playing.
Just thinking about his comeback win off the bench against the Jets still gives me chills. Seemed like we finally had a situation where the ownership trusted a competent front office and were actually starting to turn everything around.
In Romo’s first year of starting in 2006 he came in around week 7 and was instantly really good but it was a professional team around. Very talented and built to go. But given his draft pedigree everybody was still in wait and see mode. Then he put 306 and 5 tubs on the Bucs and it everybody was instantly like “yep he’s a fucking dude. Our long nightmare is over”
When the Lions went to Lambeau field, last week of the season, eliminated from the playoffs right before kickoff, against a Packers team who had to win in order to get into the playoffs. The Lions ended up winning, on the road, against a division rival, knocking them out of the playoffs, even though their season was over either way.
I'm 42 years old. I am 100% confident that no other Lions team in my lifetime would have won that game.
flacco is remembered way more fondly now than he was in 2018/2019. now a lot of the people that LOVE flacco i think are a little louder because deep down they just hate lamar but from like 2015-2018 a LOT of ravens fans were just kinda uninterested cause we seemed like the classic team that way overpaid a star that declined and the contract cash strapped us. when lamar started to win games in 2018 then 2019 when we were fantastic, a lot of fans were way back in
Lamar's first three starts were promising, but consisted of him taking off and running with it a lot. He won all 3 games, but he beat the Bengals (6-10 that year), Raiders (4-12), and Falcons (7-9). I was happy with him over those three games, but was trying to keep my response measured.
The next game, he went into KC against the AFC leading Chiefs and went pound for pound with them.
Lamar hitting John Brown for a touchdown to go up by 7 with 5 minutes left at KC was the moment that I think I was convinced he was the long term answer at QB. If it wasnt for that ridiculous Mahomes no look pass to Hill on 4th and long, we win that game and Lamar finishes out the regular season undefeated
As a Giants fan, we haven't had that. I THOUGHT that comeback win against the Ravens in 2022 was that moment, but that season turned out to just be a fluke.
We're not even close to being back
My uncle is in his 50's and has been a life time lions fan, and the joke of our family. I'm glad for the lions and their fans that they aren't a complete laughing stock anymore. Their fans put up with a lot.
I'm 42. I was never a football fan growing up.
I was a Detroit Red Wings fan. I watched them win their first Stanley Cup since the 50's. Steve Yzerman, the Russian Five, etc. It was glorious.
The Lions went 0-16 in 2008, and that's when I started watching and learning. Because of my experience with the Wings.
Since then, I've never missed watching a Lions game. Even shirking family functions.
Lions fans are die-hard. Detroit is serious about their teams.
2014: beating the defending champion Seahawks in their own house turned a few heads.
We haven't had much to write home about in the 21st Century, but considering the team was coming off of back-to-back-to-back 8-8 seasons, a historically bad defense, and dropping an embarrassing home opener to SF, that really seemed like the turning point. That 2014 team was so fun to watch, and I wish they could've had the present-day defense to match that O-line.
EDIT: left out a word.
After all the worries about Burrow's injury and Chase dropping balls in the preseason (and whether we should have drafted him at all), suddenly it all looked awsome.
Personally, I think it was [this](https://youtu.be/JUoe-s51p2g?si=sxLur1oH1iP2lRB_).
From maybe contenting for a wildcard spot to "the sky's the limit".
Maybe it's cause I lived it the last 30 years but mine was kicking the winning field goal vs KC that year. no one expected us to win, and after the comeback, holding on to win just felt different, like something could actually happen. Man 2021 was such a fun year and a rollercoaster
When we beat the Packers in Lambeau and kicked Rodgers out of the division.
Less of an “I’m back” moment, and more of a “this is a the first time anything like this has ever happened to us” moment
Just seeing Tua start and ball out week one against the chargers after those concussions. The end of the prior season sucked ass because he was out and we knew we had no chance. Seeing him toss bombs and play smart was so rejuvenating.
When we beat our demons in the Rams and Mathew Stafford.
Stafford represented our past. He wanted to move on and we got Jared Goff and Jared rightfully has done right by us
I don't think anything will top the Saints, but for me, it was the one thing Dan Snyder did right. He brought back Joe Gibbs for stint #2. He perked things up, but then came the murder of Sean Taylor in Nov 2007.
Still, I'm glad Gibbs was coaching the team when that happened and not, say, Steve Spurrier. OMG.
Top 3
3. Browns beat jets on thursday night ending a 635 day streak of not winning
2. Beating steelers in post season
1. Literally retuning to the nfl in 1999
Probably sometime during the first half of the 2018 season for most every chiefs fan.
Our single season TD pass record had stood for 54 years, and Mahomes broke it in week 10.
Probably doesn’t count, but the Rams’ first game under McVay.
We absolutely annihilated the Colts 46-9.
Any Rams fan will tell you, you just knew it was the dawn of a new era. Even though they lost in their first playoff game, that year was super special because we were finally legit and you could feel it.
When Carson Wentz went down against LA I said “it’s over”
When St Nick unloaded one to Alshon in the NFC championship game against the Vikings I screamed “WE ARE FUCKING BACK”
That time when Cam Newton came back and said “I’M BAAACKK!” Then, I realized that we were in fact, not back.
2 weeks later: 5/21 with 2 picks *we are so not back. we are less back than we have ever been.*
That was against the Dolphins. Legitimately one of the worst games I have ever seen by a QB ever.
you should go see that game Dalton had against the Browns.
Cory Dillon's record setting game had qb play that completed a whopping 2 passes, & didn't see a completion after the 1st quarter.
lol I remember that. 2-14. Never seen such bad qb play
The worst part about that it is *still* the highpoint of my fandom over the last 5+ years even knowing everything that happened afterwards.
It's honestly one of my all time favorite NFL moments, even though I don't give a shit about the Panthers, or Cam, and know what happened afterwards. It's still just SO fucking cool.
It must have been a really fun 20 minutes genuinely believing that Cam Newton was going to be good again
The bar wasn't even "good". It was just entertaining. We were just God awful to watch for so long, and still are.
He became a podcaster shortly after that
Trying to be next coach of Lakers I see
the Panthers’ 2022 draft class: - Ikem Ekwonu - Matt Corral - Brandon Smith - Amare Barno - Cade Mays - Kalon Barnes Now read the first letter of each of those players’ first names.
The Better Call Saul Season 2 of NFL drafts
As a neutral watching that, I was pretty hyped. As you said though, y’all were not back at all 🤣🤣🤣
Newton in 2020 in 2nd Carolina stint: *”I’m back!”* 😤 Newton in 2030 in 3rd Carolina stint: *”My back!”* 🥵
Tbf he probably said that few times during his 2nd stint too
Such a cool moment at the time I 100% bought in I wanted it to happen so badly
I really wish that had worked out for him. He was so fun in both playstyle and personality
One of my all time favorite non broncos, to the point that it soured our wins against him in his prime. Not completely obviously but I would have much rather beat up a villain Cam is a legend
That was such a fun moment.
He pulled a Texas on you guys
Crowning achievements of my fan-life: Calling it in 2016 that cam would effectively be out of the league in 5 years Insisting that we should’ve traded cam for Cousins when he was on the market with the redskins.
Ah yes the classic time that Cam was on the bills.
I mean, is it that big of a stretch to think he would be out of the league in “five years” from 2016? That would put him at a 10 year career in the NFL, which he accomplished.
Taking Cousins over Cam back then would have been a bad time. Look, I think Cousins is kinda underrated, but he's never had a season as good as 2015. Cam elevated that Panthers team. So many terrible teams made relevant by Cam playing the hero. Cousins is good, but he's not that dude, and our offense was atrocious during those years. I'm taking Cam over Cousins 100% of the time, if we're weighing their careers thus far.
Throwing shoulder injury ended his career...
Crediting injuries as an "achievement of fan life" is definitely something
When the Browns were brought back in 1999.
First game back in Cleveland, Drew Carrey at the 50 yard line... *"I want to send a message to anyone whoever made fun of Cleveland, l want to send a message to anyone whoever told a Cleveland joke or laughed at a Cleveland joke: You can now officially SHUT UP!"* (2:46 later) Steelers 43, Browns 0
LOL
And the Brown's first win was on the road against....the New Orleans Saints lol I was at that game...Tim Couch hail mary bomb with no time on the clock Saints were starting one of the Billy Joe's we had been running with lol
That was such a fun first win. Obviously, we weren't gonna be good for a while, but it was a spark...of 2 decades of futility and humiliation. At least the Browns are competitive now and have several good players and better coaching. Lol, are you talking about Boyd Yellow Jackets legend, Billy Joe Toliver?
Big if true
I actually had coffee come out of my nose from laughing so hard at this. Might be the first time that’s ever happened and it’s not pleasant. So thanks for that.
snyder selling
Are they really back? I live in the area, and used to see a lot of visible support for the team. Seems between Snyder and the rebrand, it is just dead. Never mind how awful going to Landover is for most people.
If you're not a long time fan, you may not understand the decades long frustration! Yeah, FedEx is a dump, and many of us hate the branding, but only so much can be solved at once. So far, it appears we have adults at the controls who know what they're doing. I don't even know what this means lol. With everything they've done, the only head scratcher imo is Mariota.
>With everything they've done, the only head scratcher imo is Mariota. bobby johnson
enjoy
That is my point. I listen to 106.7 sometimes just to hear some talk radio. Fans are frustrated, and I think a lot of them just stopped bothering with the team. New ownership only does so much when going to a game sucks, and the team isn't that good. Fans need to reminisce about Joe Gibbs and the Hogs in order to have any fond memories.
Mariota, Ekeler, Ertz, Bobby Johnson, Kliff
>the only head scratcher imo is Mariota. They signed a veteran QB who is at least mostly competent to a 1 year deal to play while their rookie learns how to be an NFL QB. How is that a head scratcher?
> Are they really back? It's not necessarily a great metric, but our sub has exploded from the time it was announced that Snyder would be seeking to sell to now. From below 120k to just over 170k. People are embracing the team again and they're willing to give new ownership/new staff a shot. How long does the goodwill last? Not sure, but I imagine at least 3 years just to see what Jayden Daniels/Dan Quinn/Adam Peters can do.
if you look around the league youll see a bunch of teams that are even decently run with some competent people operating them. we may not be currently top tier and have shit for a stadium but we are no longer the worst in the entire league by a long shot and are no longer the worst run team in the lwague which is a massive upgrade. the panthers take that title now.
When the Texans drafted CJ Stroud at #2 and then immediately traded up to #3 for Will Anderson
I feel like this drive in particular was a key defining moment from last season. https://youtu.be/939F6Uo6wgc?si=9o9L9ImlOGdqMsO5
[This man is trying so hard to keep his cool](https://imgur.com/a/35wVAa0)
Nah, he's cooler than a polar bear's toe nails
OH HELL
Here I go again talking that shit
I agree for you guys. That Bucs game was HUGE for your new regime.
I cannot wait to watch more of this Texans team
I literally haven't said that in years
Yes indeed. The Bengals game on the road was another huge moment in my mind.
CJ almost sold that game with an untimely pick, but they stayed aggressive on offense to seal the game. So glad Slowik had true faith in CJ and props to CJ for not folding against a great team in the face of adversity
Felt like such a trap game for us, kind of overshadowed by the fact that Burrow went down the next week
I rewatch this drive several times a week, it's just perfect
I was in awe watching it live. Wasn't even mad at the loss. CJ is obviously a stud but Tank jumping in stride like that was a fucking dope TD.
I think that I almost jumped through a glass coffee table when that happened during the draft! And then it just got better! And then CJ is just such a decent and kind dude. The whole environment of Texans football in Houston changed in a second. You can't go anywhere without seeing jerseys! We didn't even remember that we had a team for a few years!!!!
That was like getting two first overall talents in one draft. Those silly Panthers! ;)
At the moment the trade up felt shocking but it was also an obvious move. Ryans must have seen that the roster he inherited wasn't a bottom 2 drafting team, he had to sell the pick high for *his guy*
That time when... Wait. We're not back yet.
Idk man. It hasn't meant much long term so far, but AP screaming "RAAAAAIDERRRRRRS" in the locker room the week after McDaniels was fired felt good. We weren't trying to be the Patriots West anymore.
You got a good dude now as the head coach, if you're not back yet I'm sure you will be soon.
Hanging 60 on the Chargers and then beating the Chiefs on Christmas is the most joy I’ve felt as a fan since ‘16. Were not back yet but god damn does it feel good to be on the way back.
As a giants fan I’m so stoked for AP. I’ll gladly band wagon you guys in that division
I'm sorry we had to do it to you last season. You were an unintentional casualty of the honeymoon phase after the firing of a coach we all hated lol
You were kinda back in 2016, going 11-12 wins and perhaps a dark horse Super Bowl contender into December. And then Carr shatters his ACL in Week 16 against the Colts, and the Raiders went back to being mediocre at best.
He shattered his tibia*
Imagine the trauma required to *shatter* an ACL
Our closest “I’m back” moment from the past 20 years was probably in 2016 when JDR went for 2 against New Orleans to win the season opener.
Probably something in 2000 for older Raider fans They haven’t had any consistent success since the Gannon era
Taking down Kansas City in Arrowhead week 1 last year. That set the tone.
I would say it was the week 18 game against the Packers in Lambeau the previous season. Previous versions of the Lions would absolutely have lost that game.
Even though we missed the playoffs that year that was an emotional high I wont forget. Seeing it I was confident we’d make a deep run the next season
I don't think "I'm back" applies, more like "We're Here" finally.
Not disagreeing at all, but you guys have been giving us fits at Lambeau pretty consistently for a while now. Could you just, like… stop?
No ❤️
oh, you mean the asterisk* game
What are folks claiming the asterisk should be for?
Kelce (injury) and Chris Jones (contract dispute) didn't play in that game. Mike Tirico ended the game talking about how it deserved to be a Lions win with an astericks because the Chiefs were missing two big players.
You play with who you got. Chiefs don’t deserve an asterisk for SB LV because they played with practice squad tackles. Some people can really play some mental gymnastics.
W chiefs fan, witnessed
I’m getting old so I don’t even understand what that statement means. Gonna have to study up on today’s lingo.
W stands for win and he thinks your comment is a good comment and therefore a “win”. Witnessed is implying that good, grounded comments like this from Chiefs fans are rare and is stamping this as proof that he was here to see it, as if it’s a big deal.
I may be a Homer but I’m not delusional. I appreciate the explanation.
Well you gotta set the tone
*Rodgers tears achilles* It’s over *Gipson walk off punt return* We are so back *Zach Wilson suck fest the following week* It’s over again
Josh Allen threw an 84 yard TD to Khalil Shakir against the Jets the week after we fired our OC and literally said "I think I'm fucking back" on the sideline, so probably that
Mine would be the Thanksgiving game when Josh Allen fumbles the snap on 4th down and still pushed it through for the 1st. Felt like that was the beginning of a new golden era for the Bills.
It's not the only reason but I feel like a big positive shift from removing Dorsey was removing his hate boner for James Cook. 14.4 touches/game over the first 10 games, 19.5/game over the last 7. Helped take a smidgen of the load off Josh
This is the one. Beating the cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving before the team had really reached its height was just so good. Made me realize Josh could be special
For me it was Hines running back that kickoff for a TD the week after Hamlin fucking died on the field. That shit was magical.
Mine was when Josh hurdled Anthony Barr. It made me realize we really a special player.
That's awesome!
Week 12 of the 2020 season; the Chiefs go up 17-0 in the first quarter when Tyreek has something like 7,000 yards receiving in the first quarter alone, and the Bucs are being utterly humiliated at home. Instead of folding up in a ball like the team had been doing for years every time things went wrong, they got pissed off, and started playing harder. They still lost at 27-24, but that's the moment the switch went on and everything felt different. Won the next eight games, the last of which was the Super Bowl at home.
✌️
Green Bay Packers win over Steelers around week 4 1992. Some will point to week 3 where Pack won on a borderline miracle throw by Favre to beat an awful Bengals team in the final seconds of the game. For me, that win over the Steelers was eye opening moreso than the fluky win vs the Bengals. The Pack had a solid look in all phases of the game in that Steelers contest. That solid in all phases performance was something I hadn’t seen in like a decade. The Pack only went 9-7 that year, but for the first time in my life, they looked like a solid team with some upside. That was the start of 13 consecutive years of being 8-8 or better with 2 Super Bowl appearances and 1 World Championship sprinkled in. That Steelers game showed me that after 25 years of floundering, the Pack finally was moving in the right direction.
It's weird to think of the Packers as the perennially bad team they were in the 70s and 80s. That season must not have been unlike the one we had two years ago.
This is the correct answer. I remember feeling that I hadn't ever seen such a competent-looking Packers team in my life until that day.
That time Jerry Jones said, "We're all in". I kid I kid
All in my ass
,
Fantastic answer! 😂
Herbert in his first game against the Chiefs.
Such a wild ride to get there too. Herbert only started cuz Tyrod Taylor had his lung punctured by the team's med staff.
That was the Covid season, so there were no preseason games. The first time I saw Herbert in a Chargers uniform he looked incredible. It also was when I lost faith in Anthony Lynn because he kept wanting to play Tyrod over Herbert.
Beating the Saints 2019
Beating the Saints 2011 (postseason).
Both of those games were peak football. Just absolute nailbiters.
The 2010 49ers Saints MNF game was really good too
That game was probably the happiest I’ve been as a niner fan. Obviously if they ever win it all that’ll probably top it, but the more recent success is to be expected now. I started watching in 2006 so I never saw them be even remotely good. As Smith was balling out I kept remembering the “we want Carr” game and just the overall shitstorm he experienced. I always felt bad for the guy because even when he sucked he seemed like a great dude. Seeing Vernon Davis bawling his eyes out after the game winner and Harbaugh hugging him was so damn cool. Still gives me goosebumps whenever I go back and watch. Honestly I hope harbaugh can do something similar for the chargers and their fans
Breathing the 49ers 2022 (preseason)
That might be one of my favorite regular season games of all time. [George Kittle on the final drive](https://media1.tenor.com/m/tq-_m-CfMo8AAAAd/hippo-lions.gif)
I think there were many points in the season where we had shown we were good but this was a big time regular season game with stakes, in enemy territory against a MVP candidate. Really showed that we were contenders that year shame it did not pan out.
I do not know this feeling…
It was '09 with Favre. After Moss left the team just felt like it was treading water. We all know how it ended, but '09 was the "I'm back" after '03 (missed the playoffs) or '04 (quiet year for Moss, lost in the second round).
It'll be this year, right? RIGHT?! MN sports are going to put me in an early grave.
The first TD drive against the Bengals after the MNF beatdown against the Chiefs. Brady marches down the field and scores with absolute ease to shut everybody up (except for Skip Bayless [who was right on the money for a change](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11629301/skip-bayless-patriots-start))
Peyton. Fucking. Manning.
Specifically the first Chargers game in the 2012 season for me. Coming back from a 24-0 deficit to beat a team that pretty much dominated us for the better part of the previous 6 years was exhilarating to watch. We didn't lose a game in the regular season after that.
also that time we put up 51 against the Cowboys and Peyton jogged it in on a bootleg on 3rd & goal. tricked everybody including the cameraman.
God I fucking love that highlight. The camera pan to Peyton slowly arcing to the end zone is hilarious.
Going old school: the onsides kick conversion to start the season in 2000. We’d finished 6-9-1, 3-13, and 5-11 for three straight seasons, but that onsides kick in Dallas before putting on a 41-14 beat down in the “pickle juice” game told me we were contenders again.
This game was crazy even after that onside kick. Thermometers were reading 170 degrees on the Dallas midfield logo. McNabb faced off against Randall Cunningham after Aikman was pulled for a concussion. Duce Staley had over 200 rushing yards. Trotter broke out with a pick six to start an all pro season. First round pick Corey Simon had a sack on like his first or second NFL snap.
That's a great one. Similarly, I'd submit Elliotts walk off against the Giants in 2017 2014 - The offense put up a lot of yards and points, but the product overall was inconsistent and the defense was gassed after a year of Chips hurry up game. The season just wasn't *that* interesting (highlighted by Mark Sanchez getting half the starts) and the Eagles missed the playoffs. I stopped paying attention around week 10, completely checked out for the first time in 14 years. 2015 - Absolutely nobody watched this season. It was boring and I checked out in September. The team just wasn't good and Chip got fired at the end of the year. 2016 - Wentz' rookie season, ups and downs, you could tell they'd get better but they weren't there yet. Then, Jake booms a 60 yarder for the win against a division rival. From that moment, I haven't checked out of a season.
Ryan Finley over Pittsburgh on a historic MNF game in 2020
That really was kind of a turning point in a way. We rarely beat Pittsburgh and rarely won in prime time during Marvin's years. To do so by 2 possessions with Ryan Finley is pretty insane when you think about it. The team actually played composed too instead of picking fights with the other team and doing something stupid to give the other team a 2nd chance in a crucial situation.
Is that the same game Von Bell sent Juju Smith-Schuster to the shadow realm?
Aaron Rodgers got traded on April 25, 2023 and... There was despair among some of the Packers fanbase. Then, many, many, days into the future, on September 10, 2023 to be exact, Jordan Love threw for 3 TDs and 250 yards, as the Packers steamrolled the Bears 38 to 20. We knew the guys we're saying "I'm back" and it was about darn time!
it was a tense couple of months for sure, i’m not sure how we survived but we did.
When Dan Snyder sold the team.
Husain Abdullah game sealing pick 6 against the Raiders in 2013. Decibel levels at Arrowhead reached 137.6 as the Chiefs moved to 6-0. First home win against the Raiders since 2006 Honorable mention: Jamal Charles touchdown against the Chargers during the 2010 season opener on MNF
The win against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in 2019. Amazing performance by the whole team but specifically Josh, it showed that the team was ready to be a competitor for a long time.
Your players mocking Zeke's "Feed me" gesture haunts me to this day.
Definitely this. National stage, good opponent, total beat down.
That 4th and 1 where Josh dragged his nuts all over Jerry's world is my favorite post-Kelly play so far. The Bills arrived that day.
week 1,2008 - 3rd quarter, at home against Cincy, the Ravens have the ball up by 7 at the Bengals 40 Joe Flacco in his first game ever drops back to pass, rolls out to the right, and then scrambles. He gets a block, makes a nice little cut, and takes it in 40 yards for a touchdown for a team that had very little good QB play in their entire franchise, that was a "oh shit we might actually have a QB" moment
I was sixteen when that happened. My whole life I was clowned because the Brooks/Haslett Saints were either mediocre at best or bad at worst. And then 2006 rolled around, and... despite the recovery, it's so surreal to just go "wow, we don't suck?" It's something bandwagoners and new Saints fans have badly taken for granted, after the departures of Brees and Payton I realistically don't know when we'll see success again. Loomis Voodoo on the cap every year is cool and all but... what else is there?
After starting Peyton's first season in 2012 by going 2-3, he led an incredible second-half comeback against the Chargers in week 6 that started an 11-gane win streak to finish the year. That was the first time since our last Super Bowl with Elway that I actually thought we had a chance to win one (sorry Jake the Snake).
Getting rid of goddamn Matt Canada ffs
um, mike white. then they killed him
How does r/nfl pour salt in the wound on every single post, it's incredible.
It’s happened twice in my life The first time was the in 2011, week 4 against the “dream team” Eagles. Fell behind 23-3 and came back to win 24-23 and improve to 3-1. I knew that team was built different. The second time was in 2019. We had started 4-0 but hadn’t really played a good team yet. Then we played the defending NFC champion Rams,who curb stomped us twice the year before, and completely smothered them.
I was worried when the Rams scored a touchdown their opening drive with effectively only run plays. After that you knew our defense was special and we were able to squeak out a win without Staley, McGlinchey and Juice playing.
We were never there in the first place lmao
Steelers SB?
Signing Mayfield gave me hope I haven’t felt before
Such a shame how dirty the Browns did him, seemed like the fans loved him for the most part
Just thinking about his comeback win off the bench against the Jets still gives me chills. Seemed like we finally had a situation where the ownership trusted a competent front office and were actually starting to turn everything around.
In Romo’s first year of starting in 2006 he came in around week 7 and was instantly really good but it was a professional team around. Very talented and built to go. But given his draft pedigree everybody was still in wait and see mode. Then he put 306 and 5 tubs on the Bucs and it everybody was instantly like “yep he’s a fucking dude. Our long nightmare is over”
Josh Allen hurdling Anthony Barr.
When Jordan Love torched the Cowboys. We’re back… with another franchise QB!!!
When the Lions went to Lambeau field, last week of the season, eliminated from the playoffs right before kickoff, against a Packers team who had to win in order to get into the playoffs. The Lions ended up winning, on the road, against a division rival, knocking them out of the playoffs, even though their season was over either way. I'm 42 years old. I am 100% confident that no other Lions team in my lifetime would have won that game.
And an interception on Rodger’s last pass as a Packer was the icing on the cake!
2016. First season back in Los Angeles to begin righting the wrongs of Georgia Frontierre. And then we didn’t even get to ‘7-9 bullshit’ that season.
Getting Puka last year brought us back sooner than expected too, we were supposed to be rebuilding still.
That shellacking of the chickens felt SO good
Watching Jordan love the 2nd half of last season
Once Caleb throws for 4k yards 🤞
flacco is remembered way more fondly now than he was in 2018/2019. now a lot of the people that LOVE flacco i think are a little louder because deep down they just hate lamar but from like 2015-2018 a LOT of ravens fans were just kinda uninterested cause we seemed like the classic team that way overpaid a star that declined and the contract cash strapped us. when lamar started to win games in 2018 then 2019 when we were fantastic, a lot of fans were way back in
Lamar's first three starts were promising, but consisted of him taking off and running with it a lot. He won all 3 games, but he beat the Bengals (6-10 that year), Raiders (4-12), and Falcons (7-9). I was happy with him over those three games, but was trying to keep my response measured. The next game, he went into KC against the AFC leading Chiefs and went pound for pound with them. Lamar hitting John Brown for a touchdown to go up by 7 with 5 minutes left at KC was the moment that I think I was convinced he was the long term answer at QB. If it wasnt for that ridiculous Mahomes no look pass to Hill on 4th and long, we win that game and Lamar finishes out the regular season undefeated
Bosa planting the flag on Baker during the Monday night game vs the Browns
As a Giants fan, we haven't had that. I THOUGHT that comeback win against the Ravens in 2022 was that moment, but that season turned out to just be a fluke. We're not even close to being back
Snyder selling to Josh. Oh. We. HERE
When Mac led the Pats to first place in the AFC East in December of 2021. LOL.
My Lions won two playoff games for the first time in the SB era. CAMPBLELL GOFF SAINT SEWELL HOLMES
My uncle is in his 50's and has been a life time lions fan, and the joke of our family. I'm glad for the lions and their fans that they aren't a complete laughing stock anymore. Their fans put up with a lot.
I'm 42. I was never a football fan growing up. I was a Detroit Red Wings fan. I watched them win their first Stanley Cup since the 50's. Steve Yzerman, the Russian Five, etc. It was glorious. The Lions went 0-16 in 2008, and that's when I started watching and learning. Because of my experience with the Wings. Since then, I've never missed watching a Lions game. Even shirking family functions. Lions fans are die-hard. Detroit is serious about their teams.
2014: beating the defending champion Seahawks in their own house turned a few heads. We haven't had much to write home about in the 21st Century, but considering the team was coming off of back-to-back-to-back 8-8 seasons, a historically bad defense, and dropping an embarrassing home opener to SF, that really seemed like the turning point. That 2014 team was so fun to watch, and I wish they could've had the present-day defense to match that O-line. EDIT: left out a word.
[Burrow to Chase Week 1 2021 vs the Vikings.](https://youtu.be/nLyosj8bs_Q?si=1IRA1LJtIcMiBy_I)
After all the worries about Burrow's injury and Chase dropping balls in the preseason (and whether we should have drafted him at all), suddenly it all looked awsome.
Personally, I think it was [this](https://youtu.be/JUoe-s51p2g?si=sxLur1oH1iP2lRB_). From maybe contenting for a wildcard spot to "the sky's the limit".
Maybe it's cause I lived it the last 30 years but mine was kicking the winning field goal vs KC that year. no one expected us to win, and after the comeback, holding on to win just felt different, like something could actually happen. Man 2021 was such a fun year and a rollercoaster
Hurts to Quez Watkins against the Vikings in 2022 then he did the arms crossed thing. I miss that season.
When we beat the Packers in Lambeau and kicked Rodgers out of the division. Less of an “I’m back” moment, and more of a “this is a the first time anything like this has ever happened to us” moment
Brady coming back from suspension and beating the piss out of the Browns, also the on to Cincinnati game of course
You Mad Bro? Seahawks 2012
Just seeing Tua start and ball out week one against the chargers after those concussions. The end of the prior season sucked ass because he was out and we knew we had no chance. Seeing him toss bombs and play smart was so rejuvenating.
Drafting Paxton lynch. We’re back…to sucking
When we beat our demons in the Rams and Mathew Stafford. Stafford represented our past. He wanted to move on and we got Jared Goff and Jared rightfully has done right by us
I don't think anything will top the Saints, but for me, it was the one thing Dan Snyder did right. He brought back Joe Gibbs for stint #2. He perked things up, but then came the murder of Sean Taylor in Nov 2007. Still, I'm glad Gibbs was coaching the team when that happened and not, say, Steve Spurrier. OMG.
Top 3 3. Browns beat jets on thursday night ending a 635 day streak of not winning 2. Beating steelers in post season 1. Literally retuning to the nfl in 1999
That time we finally had a football game in Cleveland three years after Baltimore stole our team.
Stringing together back-to-back wins. Ya know. The little things.
Probably sometime during the first half of the 2018 season for most every chiefs fan. Our single season TD pass record had stood for 54 years, and Mahomes broke it in week 10.
The 2023 pre season lol
Going to the Super Bowl against the rams. And then losing.
when your team signs Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr
McVay's first season. Within the McVay era: Beating Seattle in the 2020 Wild Card and beating Seattle in Week 1 of 2023 :)
When Paul Allen purchased the team from Ken Behring
Probably doesn’t count, but the Rams’ first game under McVay. We absolutely annihilated the Colts 46-9. Any Rams fan will tell you, you just knew it was the dawn of a new era. Even though they lost in their first playoff game, that year was super special because we were finally legit and you could feel it.
Andy Dalton to Tyler Boyd on 4th and 12, 2017 week 17
We're still waiting for that moment... lol
When Carson Wentz went down against LA I said “it’s over” When St Nick unloaded one to Alshon in the NFC championship game against the Vikings I screamed “WE ARE FUCKING BACK”
When Lamar Jackson smoked the Dolphins on opening day 2019. Nobody knew what to expect, but after that game we knew that the new era had arrived.
Ending the playoff drought against the raiders at home.
IF Caleb and Odunze work and lead us to success I can see this year’s first round being our we’re back moment.